Baltimore Man Gets Prison Time After Taking Riot Shield On Jan. 6

WASHINGTON, DC — A federal judge sentenced a Baltimore man to 15 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to pushing a line of police officers and taking a riot shield during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The judge also sentenced Narayana Rheiner, 42, to 36 months of supervised release and ordered him to pay $2,000 in restitution. Rheiner pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with law enforcement officers in November 2022.

According to a Department of Justice news release, Rheiner was among thousands of people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Prosecutors said Rheiner and others illegally gathered on the Upper West Plaza of the Capitol where officers were maintaining a police line to prevent the group from advancing further.

Shortly after 2 p.m., prosecutors said Rheiner moved to the front of the mob and waved other rioters to come forward, yelling at them to “push up” against the police line. He pushed against officers and grabbed an officer’s riot shield, pulling it from the officer's hands and causing the officer to fall down several stairs to the ground.

About 45 minutes later, Rheiner entered the Capitol and proceeded to the Rotunda, prosecutors said. Once there, authorities said Rheiner approached officers using chemical irritants to disperse the crowd and said, “You know how many times I’ve been sprayed today? That s--- ain’t nothing!”

In the 31 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. More than 350 people have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the Department of Justice.